Digital design and construction must become standard for construction
projects in Germany, said Alexander Dobrindt, the country's federal
minister of transport and digital infrastructure. He was speaking during
a panel discussion on building information modelling (BIM) and the
construction site at bauma 2016.

Germany has a strong
reputation for innovation and know-how, but there is no guarantee that
today's market leaders will still be ahead tomorrow, said Dobrindt. The
country needs a new construction culture – one that is based on
digitisation and interconnectedness between all stakeholders. This
includes small- and medium-sized enterprises and not just the major
players, he added.

The German government has been
attempting to lead the way: in April 2013, the former federal ministry
of transport, building and urban development launched a construction of
major projects reform commission. This body came up with a three-phase
action plan for projects. Phase one - up to 2017 - covers preparatory
steps, including the setting of standards and resolution of legal
issues. Phase two will see the launch of BIM-based pilot projects with
investment of over 10 million euros. Phase three will mandate that all
German public transport projects use BIM.

Germany is two to
three years behind The Netherlands and the UK in aspects of implementing
BIM, said Joaquin Diaz from the University of Applied Sciences at
Griesen. By reducing mistakes in the planning stage of projects, BIM can
have a significant impact on costs, he concluded.